New Home, New Kitchen

I’m in the process of making some pretty hefty decisions for our new home. Yes, the most important room in the house is on my mind: THE KITCHEN.

My biggest request for the new home was an open kitchen floorplan. Something that flowed into a large breakfast room and living space so the kitchen didn’t feel so disconnected from the rest of the house.

And then I found the perfect floorplan that suited my family. Here’s a little snippet…

For me, this area right here is what sold us on the house. The large kitchen center island that will seat at least 5 stools, large breakfast room, and an adjacent hearth room so my family is within an arm’s reach.

The photo below is a pretty similar kitchen for structural purposes only (the center island and cabinet layout are a bit different but at least it gives you an idea).

And here’s kinda-sorta what our hearth room/sunroom will look like straight on but we’ll have a vaulted ceiling. We’re still debating on the stone fireplace but our budget is quickly depleting, bummer.

Now I keep finding these beautiful gourmet kitchens on Houzz and Pinterest, but c’mon people… I can’t afford 80% of the things in those pictures. We’re focusing on structural at this point, knowing we can always upgrade lighting and other things later. So I’m scaling back my dream kitchen a bit to fit my budget, and luckily I’ve found some tips and tricks that will give me that dream kitchen on a real budget.

First of all, we couldn’t quite afford granite countertops. I love the look, but I hate the price tag. Then I found the Wilsonart® HD® High Definition® Laminate countertops that looks just like granite but within our price range (approximately one-third of the cost of real stone granite, yay!).

These Wilsonart countertops seriously look realistic with natural flow patterns and mineral details. For homeowners this is the dream of combining the beauty and durability of real stone with an affordable price. And it’s inspired by actual granite with all of the cool veins and markings.

Plus the AEON™ Enhanced Performance Technology from Wilsonart means countertops are durable‑up to five times more scuff resistant than traditional laminate.

We’d also like to get a Wilsonart® HD® Integrated Sink to give our countertops an upscale, clean look. There’s no lip, no seam. Instantly makes the kitchen sophisticated, don’t you think? And the Wilsonart Integrated Sinks are resistant to both stains and heat. BONUS.

Another cool part of the Wilsonart countertops is that you can choose a decorative edge to really set it apart from other laminate countertops. The Beveled, Cascade, and Crescent edges are three of the most popular edges and definitely are the perfect finishing touch (plus an affordable way to achieve the granite look without the visible seams).

I know not everyone is building new, so keep these facts in mind when remodeling your home as well. Whether it’s your kitchen, bathroom or laundry room, Wilsonart offers the best quality, design and affordability.

Comments

“Our budget’s quickly depleting”… that seems to be the story of every build/remodel, doesn’t it? I hate when that pesky budget-thing prevents me from doing what I want. Great layout! And 5 stools around the island?! A dream come true. Congrats!

I’m loving your blog, thanks for the fabulous inspiration! I’ve designed a lot of kitchens and would suggest that you skip the corner sink and windows. Corner sink cabinets take up a ton of valuable storage space, also the dishwasher right beside the corner makes it awkward to load. I would suggest moving the sink to the center of the wall with a window above and dishwasher to the right. I also like sinks in the island,so you don’t have your back to the room while you are cleaning and prepping food. Good luck whatever you decide!

Thanks for the tips, Trish! Since we’re not building custom I’ll have to ask the builder what is possible with the configuration. I know we have to consider the ducting in the walls. I’ll definitely ask though since I would love to move the sink on the back wall with a large window above!

Love the kitchen and hearth room. So nice to know other people who cannot afford granite etc. but can find beautiful alternatives to use. i’m not even sold on granite and the price is so prohibitive! Keep us posted, I’m loving what your are designing. I don’t get to build new but am remodeling….next is a bathroom, well really two , so i have to get looking!

We put in these countertops when we built our home 5 years ago and went with the Deepstar Fossil with the beveled edge. We love them – the textured surface is wonderful – they have held up splendidly and we’re extremely pleased!

I am also planning on a kitchen/bathroom remodel within the next year in anticipation of a house sale and am gathering ideas and suggestions. Wilsonart has some really beautiful stonework and I just ordered a sample to look at. Hopefully, the look and price will be a go! Thanks for your wonderful blog!

My hubby and I are planning to downsize to our retirement home, so we are also looking at house plans and pricing. As for kitchens, I’m leaning toward the IKEA kitchens with the butcher block counters or even old barn wood for countertops with resin poured on top for durability and cleaning. My brother-in-law did this with his kitchen island (he is a cabinetmaker) with 100+ year heart pine planks and it is gorgeous. I lived with formica in our first home – a trailer – and I just can’t go back to those days, no matter how great formica is now. Love you house plans…I’m addicted to all the house plans sites!!!!